Hope is necessary for overcoming addiction [1]. Addiction can feel overwhelming and can lead to feelings of stress, guilt, shame, anger, fear, and grief. It can be hard to stay hopeful when individuals and families are impacted by these feelings and other negative consequences from substance use. When we feel hopeless, it can be powerful [...]
Recovery is complex, and it requires us to turn inwards. Behind addictive behavior is often unresolved trauma, suppressed emotions, and wounded parts of ourselves. Creative expression can help aid in recovery from these. It can be very difficult for one to put into words their pain that they have spent so long numbing. This difficulty [...]
Introduction Substance Use Disorders (SUDs) are chronic, relapsing, and life-long diseases that, unlike appendicitis, strep throat, or some Cancers, are not cured by current treatments. The goals of treatments for SUDs are harm reduction, remission, and also a return to premorbid functioning. Large numbers of people have SUDs that have elevated relapse rates, even following [...]
COVID-19 has touched every part of our globe and our lives. The pandemic will undoubtedly continue to impact our current and future way-of-life and greatly impact present and future generations. As frightening as it is, many of the impacts of COVID-19 on our lives have not yet been experienced. A recent study has delved into [...]
Introduction Opioid overdoses are increasing again [1]. Nonfatal opioid overdoses treated in the emergency department at VCU in Richmond increased from 102 between March and June 2019 to 227 in 2020. That's an increase of 123%. The opioid overdose increase occurred when the academic emergency room was experiencing a low number of visits. O.D.s increasing [...]MEDICAL ADVICE DISCLAIMER: The service, and any information contained on the website or provided through the service, is provided for informational purposes only. The information contained on or provided through this service is intended for general consumer understanding and education and not as a substitute for medical or psychological advice, diagnosis, or treatment. All information provided on the website is presented as is without any warranty of any kind, and expressly excludes any warranty of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose.